Australia - Allison Baden-Clay, 43, Brisbane QLD, 19 April 2012 - #1

[kiwijayne]

It would appear the helicopters are up searching again one is just flying around above my house.

They seem to be searching near Gap Creek Road area.

 

[BobSuruncle]

Strange about the report on screaming. That are was searched by Police and SES Tues/Wed last week - we saw them searching a particular are of the naturestrip which would be right in the area of the person who heard yelling.
Police have far more information than they tell us - they are running it methodically and are trying to get any last scrap of information we may have to HELP them solve this.

 

[Keyboredom]

Have to disagree with some of the assumptions on here. It's likely Allison knew about the alleged affair as someone claiming to know her has said. It was meant to be over but he still behaved suspiciously, supposedly. The suggestions are his business was in trouble, he'd been having an affair (and possibly still was), and their marriage had been troubled for some time. If a huge argument has occurred and violence committed against her, none of this looks like a cunning well-planned event, and only he has been involved, if it's him, I really don't think his bit on the side would be involved in what is more likely a sudden escalation of a domestic dispute. And I doubt he would confess what happened to someone who is probably only a distraction from his pretend happy family church going life he put on display.

Anyone can easily aim their car at that bus interchange - there's no barrier to entry. And if a person was vague and stressed or come from a number of different directions it could be logical they used that road to make towards indooroopilly police - we don't know if he claimed to have been buying subway or coffee or something before heading back to the police. It's not completely out of realms of possibility he passed out and lost control. Unlikely, but not impossible.

Don't forget the interview was him responding to the reporters questions and it's obviously been heavily edited. I agree his mannerisms are strange, but by all reports he is a bit unusual ... If you watch one of his corporate videos his speech pattern is pretty similar. Still not the way you would expect someone frantically missing their partner to behave, but his mention of his own accident is probably more pronounced thanks to the news channels editing of his interview.

Helicopter is back in the area now ... Hopefully renewed interest in the 'hot zone' will turn something up. It's good they're looking at gap creek road too... Too much bush there to not be a possibility.

 

[mountainhigh]

Met him 3-4 times around 3 years ago during a house purchase. in response to the post about him being 'arrogant', 'weird' & 'a womaniser', have to say the weird part I agree on a little (something you can't quite put your finger on for some reason but its there). He was a little phoney but i put that down to the whole real estate agent thing because it does seem to be a bit of a pre requisite and part of the job as it were. The arrogant part, I can't quite agree really in general, I don't think you can run a a successful little agency (which is all it is really) if you are too arrogant, as people will turn away from listing their house with you and he personally sells alot of the houses himsellf so arrogance, no can't agree. Funny the womaniser part comes up cause I remember at the time and even joked with my wife about it, he did blatantly fllirt with her a few times and even in front of me on one occcassion. Nothing major but I thought it just that little bit weird and full on, especially given this was a professional business transaction only and nothing personal whatsoever. That in itself I am sure if you physcho analyse would mean a 'supreme being' type attitude, having the 'front' or gall to do this without any sort of worry or care that I was present. suppose maybe that's where the arrogance comes in! Nothing major but speaks a little about the character I guess.

I feel for his inlaws and especially for those 3 children. Just horrific for them. Was hoping may be a positive outcome but looking less likely now.
Agree with a lot on here so far and there have been some really poor judgements on his behalf but none that make him 100% guilty - Yet...
car accident was the strangest thing really..
and not being present in the absolute slightest at the command centre or one of the vigils is just whacko in my mind. if you were 100% innocent wouldn't this be just standard procedure that you would be there! Again, different people react in different ways to events like this and I have seen it personally but again very poor judgement calls if indeed he has had nothing to do with this.

Reported screaming at around 10pm,, half an hours walk away from their house. Didn't he report her leaving their house AT 10pm. someone has their times out of whack by half an hour here.. either him or these neighbours have. you can't leave their house at 10pm and then be screaiming at 10pm somewhere which is half an hours walk away (4km).
minor detail and pick up but its all relevant I guess.
has been alot of conflicting reports but I will go with the police and not the media and go with the 'thursday night 10pm' statement as when she was last seen by the husband.

Financial problems as reported on Thur - have no doubt about that, given he moved from his little office in Kenmore which would have been no more than $2500 per month rent to a massive commercial property in Taringa that would be double if not tripple that in rent. (or perhaps he bought it which would be even worse!!)
And all this at a time when the property market nose dived in a big way!! the Signage alone would have been $25,000. Always wondered why he even made that move? Obviously saw more potential closer into the inner western suburbs..but why the massive big property....some of the most successful agencies operate out of little premises just like he first had?
Part of the grand act and For show perhaps, who knows? seemed like a silly move financially.

 

[jlydia]

I feel so sorry for those poor girls and the family of Alison.

My 11 year old daughter heard on the radio that police were interviewing a 'close female friend' and said to me 'that's weird. I think the husband might have hurt her mum'

 

[Raskolnikov]

It's true that the info being released or just speculated by the police and media make it hard to build a likely picture of events.

I think that when the husband says he is just 'trying to care for MY children' he is possibly holding on to the belief that now that Alison is no longer here, and I think he had something to do with that, he has to not go to jail for the sake of his children. A way of rationalising the fact that he did something terrible, may not have meant it, but now that it's done and can't be changed, the kids having at least one parent is the most important thing. Obviously he may think that being a great parent now to his kids may some how mitigate the big mistake he has made.

Obviosuly that is a very weird way of looking at things but it might be his current outlook.

 

[willough]

Is there a minimum time before you can report a person missing in Australia? In NZ it's 24 hours missing before they will do anything(unless it's a child then it's straightaway).

Yep, I was thinking the same kiwijayne. They hopped onto this incredibly quick and had so many involved searching so quickly too. To be honest, they have appeared to have exhausted more effort in finding this lady (in the initial stages) than they even did with Daniel Morcombe. Also the Premier coming on TV expressing that he will happily give anything the police commissioner wants in finding her, makes me seriously think, there is actually more to Allison Baden-Clay too. Why are politicians coming on telly about this sort of stuff?

 

[indogwetrust]

Another 'local' here.

Just a couple of things to add:

1. Many of us have wondered why he was driving behind Indro shopping town to go to the police station on Moggill Rd (he didn't need to turn off). Apparently on Station Rd there is some other police HQ, at about number 30 near the bank. My partner has seen lots of polic cars parked underneath. Could Gerard have been going there? Can anyone verify this other 'police station' on Station rd?

2. Did anyone else happen to notice the three (?) skulls of ruminants since passed (one looked like a Gazelle, with its horns) which were displayed on his parents outside wall. Clearly visible when he was being interviewed outside his parent's place last Weds. I know he comes from a camping culture - but what of a hunting one, where it's ok to kill things (this is a very bad generalisation but the skulls really stood out to me and were a bit creepy).

3. on the point of hiring a criminal lawyer - I think we all would, guilty or innocent. Police are fallible, they make mistakes, they have wrongly accused people before and botched up investigations. They also have a habit of intimidating and scaring the beegeezus out of you even if you've done nothing wrong. A lawyer would at the very least let you know what your rights are in such a situation.

 

[SKMA]

Also the Premier coming on TV expressing that he will happily give anything the police commissioner wants in finding her, makes me seriously think, there is actually more to Allison Baden-Clay too. Why are politicians coming on telly about this sort of stuff?

Mr Baden-Clay is a massive LNP supporter and Brookfield is a true believer, dyed in the wool LNP seat and has been for years. Many wealthy and powerful business people have million dollar homes out there.

You could see the sticker supporting Campbell Newman on the back windscreen of Mr Baden-Clay's car in one of the early media shots plus Bruce Flegg, the local LNP member personally visited him at his parents house a few days ago. I'd say he and his business have probably made a party donation or two in their time. And the LNP are now running the State so it all adds up. They're protecting one of their own.

 

[SKMA]

3. on the point of hiring a criminal lawyer - I think we all would, guilty or innocent. Police are fallible, they make mistakes, they have wrongly accused people before and botched up investigations. They also have a habit of intimidating and scaring the beegeezus out of you even if you've done nothing wrong. A lawyer would at the very least let you know what your rights are in such a situation.

A lawyer can also threaten to sue for defamation if anything possibly injurious to Mr Baden-Clay is said. After he hired the lawyer the police stopped giving press conferences and the media started publishing "Poor Gerard" articles. Everyone is being very careful now.

 

[truthseeker12]

Something in the home must have alerted the police to contact their superiors! It was turned into a crime scene...now why are the police asking if anyone saw any movement of the family cars between 8:00pm and 6:00am?

If Allison was snatched by a random psychopath lurking in Brookfield then the home wouldn't look like a crime scene and the police wouldn't be interested in the family cars or his mobile phone etc.

I just can't get over those facts

I agree that the police are being careful!

 

[kiwijayne]

Something in the home must have alerted the police to contact their superiors! It was turned into a crime scene...now why are the police asking if anyone saw any movement of the family cars between 8:00pm and 6:00am?

If Allison was snatched by a random psychopath lurking in Brookfield then the home wouldn't look like a crime scene and the police wouldn't be interested in the family cars or his mobile phone etc.

I just can't get over those facts

I agree that the police are being careful!

Probably when they arrived the scratch/es on his face combined with the unexplained disappearance of his wife? Made them think that there was something more sinister going on.

 

[marlywings]

I agree although I'm not sure a scratch on the face would warrant reporting to detectives??...something sparked their interest though when it says in today's report,

Asked why police responded in such force to a missing person's report on the Friday morning, Supt Ainsworth yesterday said officers who first attended made unspecified observations they reported to detectives

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...alarms-residents/story-e6frep2f-1226341666902

 

[Liadan]

2. Did anyone else happen to notice the three (?) skulls of ruminants since passed (one looked like a Gazelle, with its horns) which were displayed on his parents outside wall. Clearly visible when he was being interviewed outside his parent's place last Weds. I know he comes from a camping culture - but what of a hunting one, where it's ok to kill things (this is a very bad generalisation but the skulls really stood out to me and were a bit creepy).

Weren't there some at his house on the veranda as well? I wonder if the family owned guns? How is that for starting the rumour mill......

 

[kiwijayne]

I agree although I'm not sure a scratch on the face would warrant reporting to detectives??...something sparked their interest though when it says in today's report,

Asked why police responded in such force to a missing person's report on the Friday morning, Supt Ainsworth yesterday said officers who first attended made unspecified observations they reported to detectives

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...alarms-residents/story-e6frep2f-1226341666902

Probably scratch/es combined with the fact she had left the house the night before and him heading off to bed. That seems are wee bit uncaring to say the least.

I was discussing this with my partner last night and he would have called someone to come stay with the kids and gone out searching himself. Remembering his parents live 3-4kms away at best. If he couldn't have found me he would have called the police to get their advice what to do.

 

[Keyboredom]

His family are from South Africa, which is where the keeping and displaying of trophy skulls/horns would come from.

One of the more disturbing images in the whole case so far was his parents having the weird tongue kiss for the benefit of news cameras. Understand they would be over having media camped on their front lawn, but not doing their son any favours by confirming his family are 'unusual'.

Searchers weren't near the area where screams were heard this morning, but they have spread out over the hill from Gap Creek road now, so maybe there was something in that.

Fingers crossed for some physical evidence to help connect the dots.

 

[SKMA]

I agree. The tonguey was really improbable... and a little undignified. What message were they trying to send? Whatever it was they failed.

 

[bearbear]

maybe what he meant was he went to bed at 10pm and she was watching the footy show when he last saw her, then when he got up and she wasnt there, he assumed she had gone for her morning run but then got worried when she hadnt returned so then called police around 7.30am? there seems to be a lot of confusion around his time line.

 

[marlywings]

Yes that kiss was one of the weirdest things!!

One other thing I keep wondering about is, even if they'd had a huge argument, she'd go storming off for a walk at that time of night in that type of area?? I'm not sure I know of any woman who'd be brave enough to go out walking alone in such an area, unless perhaps she'd been drinking/was drunk??

 

[kiwijayne]

Yes that kiss was one of the weirdest things!!

One other thing I keep wondering about is, even if they'd had a huge argument, she'd go storming off for a walk at that time of night in that type of area?? I'm not sure I know of any woman who'd be brave enough to go out walking alone in such an area, unless perhaps she'd been drinking/was drunk??

I most certainly wouldn't be wandering round this area at night. No street lights, no real footpaths and just the general darkness of this area scares me at night.